System and method for coordinating operator efforts using action diaries

• US 6,944,866 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MacPhail, Margaret Gardner
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Phuong N.
• Application Number:
  US09/714,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 709/204, 709223-225, 709/205
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

A system and method for allowing system operators to collaborate and coordinates efforts through an action diary. The operators communicate directly with each other through a chat page in the appropriate action diaries. The dialog may be saved for archive, copy commentary to action diary notes, or deleted. Two or more operators may work on solving the same root problem. Coordinating operator efforts includes capturing the coordinated best practice solution. Two operators working on the same root problem may access two different action diaries or a common action diary. Pre-set event rules cause both operators to be notified of the other operator'"'"'s actions. The updates to both action diaries are coordinated as appropriate. Each diary may reference the other'"'"'s path allowing individual customization. In other cases, the paths may be duplicated.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating efforts of a plurality of system operators, said method comprising:

capturing one or more first actions taken by a first operator in an action diary;

receiving the first actions via the action diary by a second operator;

capturing one or more comments from at least one of the operators;

storing the captured comments in the action diary;

receiving data regarding a system event, wherein the system event is an actual system event corresponding to a problem related to a network device;

searching a data store to locate the action diary, wherein the action diary corresponds to the received system event;

searching the action diary for the system event; and

performing one or more actions adapted to address the problem related to the network device.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

combining one or more second actions taken by the second operator with the first actions; and

storing the combined actions in the action diary.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

editing the combined actions, the editing resulting in a best current practice; and

storing the best current practice.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

capturing one or more additional actions executed during the performance of the one or more actions;

modifying the action diary by including the one or more additional actions; and

storing the modified action diary.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

capturing data during the performance of the one or more actions;

creating a data capture object adapted to capture the data;

modifying the action diary by including the data capture object; and

storing the modified action diary.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

displaying action diary information to a user;

receiving action diary component data from the user;

modifying at least one of the action diaries using the component information; and

storing the modified action diaries.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

capturing one or more new actions in response to the searching not resulting in an identification of at least one action diary;

associating the new actions with the received event; and

creating a new action diary, the new action diary including the new action and at least one association resulting from the associating.

8. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

storing the new action diary.

9. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising:

capturing data during the performance of the new actions; and

creating a data capture object adapted to capture the data.

10. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

performing one or more data capture actions in response to a successful search for the action diary.

11. The method as described in claim 10 further comprising:

identifying data within a computer system;

creating a method for automatically capturing the data; and

associating the method with the action diary.

12. The method as described in claim 11 further comprising:

creating a storage method for storing the captured data; and

associating the storage method with one or more action diaries.

13. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the identifying, creating, and associating are performed in response to the searching not resulting in an identification of at least one action diary.

14. The method as described in claim 13 further comprising:

creating a new action diary, the new action diary including the method and at least one association resulting from the associating.

15. The method as described in claim 11 further comprising:

creating a new action diary; and

storing the new action diary.

16. The method as described in claim 10 further comprising:

performing one or more actions, wherein the one or more actions are identified by the action diary.

17. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

locating one or more solving approaches within the action diary;

comparing the one or more event solving approaches with one or more archival rules; and

archiving one or more of the one or more event solving approaches in response to the comparing.

18. The method as described in claim 17 further comprising:

removing the approaches from an action diary data store.

19. The method as described in claim 18 further comprising:

storing the approaches in an alternate data store.

20. The method as described in claim 17 wherein the comparing further includes comparing approach statistics associated with the approaches with the one or more archival rules.

21. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether multiple approaches exist within the action diary;

wherein the archiving is performed in response to determining that multiple approaches exist.

22. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of action diaries within an action diary data store; and

performing the locating, comparing, the archiving for each of the identified action diaries.

23. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

manually selecting one or more approaches included in an action diary; and

archiving the manually selected approaches.

24. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

grouping action diaries, the grouping including;

including one or more objects in a first approach group, wherein the first approach group includes a first approach for handling a system event; and

storing the approach group in the action diary.

25. The method as described in claim 24 further comprising:

including one or more objects in a second approach group, wherein the second approach group includes a second approach for handling the system event.

26. The method as described in claim 24 further comprising:

displaying a first graphic related to the approach group.

27. The method as described in claim 26 wherein the graphic indicates a position of the approach group within a lifecycle.

28. The method as described in claim 24 wherein the first approach group includes at least one of group properties, action objects, text notes objects, and parameter objects.

29. The method as described in claim 28 wherein the text notes objects includes one or more annotations, the annotations describing handling the system event.

30. The method as described in claim 24 further comprising:

displaying one or more objects included in the approach group;

selecting one of the objects, the selecting performed by an operator using a selected device; and

modifying the selected object in response to the selecting.

31. A method for coordinating efforts of a plurality of system operators, said method comprising:

capturing one or more first actions taken by a first operator in an action diary;

receiving the first actions via the action diary by a second operator;

capturing one or more comments from at least one of the operators;

storing the captured comments in the action diary;

receiving data regarding a system event;

searching a data store to locate the action diary, wherein the action diary corresponds to the received system event; and

invoking a chat window on a first computer by the first operator and on a second computer operated by the second operator, wherein the chat window includes displaying interactive information between the first and second operators.

32. The method as described as claim 31 wherein the invoking automatically occurs when the first and second operators access the action diary.

33. An information handling system for coordinating operator efforts, said information handling system comprising:

one or more processing units;

a tool for coordinating operator efforts, the operator efforts coordination tool including;

means for capturing one or more first actions taken by a first operator in an action diary;

means for receiving the first actions via the action diary by a second operator;

means for capturing one or more comments from at least one of the operators;

means for storing the captured comments in the action diary;

means for receiving data regarding a system event, wherein the system event is an actual system event corresponding to a problem related to a network device;

means for searching a data store to locate the action diary, wherein the action diary corresponds to the received system event;

means for searching the action diary for the system event; and

means for performing one or more actions adapted to address the problem related to the network device.

34. The information handling system as described in claim 33 further comprising:

means for combining one or more second actions taken by the second operator with the first actions; and

means for storing the combined actions in the action diary.

35. The information handling system as described in claim 34 further comprising:

means for editing the combined actions, the editing resulting in a best current practice; and

means for storing the best current practice.

36. The information handling system as described in claim 33 further comprising:

means for invoking a chart window on a first computer operated by the first operator and on a second computer operated by the second operator, wherein the chat window includes means for displaying interactive information between the first and second operators.

37. The information handling system as described in claim 36 wherein the means for invoking automatically occurs when the first and second operators access the action diary.

38. A computer program product for coordinating efforts of a plurality of system operators, said computer program product comprising:

means for capturing one or more first actions taken by a first operator in an action diary;

means for receiving the first actions via the action diary by a second operator;

means for capturing one or more comments from at lest one of the operators;

means for storing the captured comments in the action diary;

means for receiving data regarding a system event, wherein the system event is an actual system event corresponding to a problem related to a network device;

means for searching a data store to locate the action diary, wherein the action diary corresponds to the received event;

means for searching the action diary for the system event; and

means for performing one or more actions adapted to address the problem related to the network device.

39. The computer program product as described in claim 38 further comprising:

means for combining one or more second actions taken by the second operator with the first actions; and

means for storing the combined actions in the action diary.

40. The computer program product as described in claim 39 further comprising:

means for editing the combined actions, the editing resulting in a best current practice; and

means for storing the best current practice.

41. The computer program product as described in claim 38 further comprising:

means for invoking a chat window on a first computer operated by the first operator and on a second computer operated by the second operator, wherein the chart window includes means for displaying interactive information between the first and second operators.